Europe's economic woes were the talk of Geneva, but the star cars were rich stuff

By Matt DeLorenzo, J.P. Vettraino and Wes Raynal

ercedes chief designer, Bruno Sacco, summed this year's Geneva Motor Show best when he said amid the show cars and colorful displays in the Palexpo hall: "Inside everyone is smiling and happy; outside the building they are filled with gloom." Sacco wasn't talking about the cold and cloudy Swiss winter, but rather the economic slump into which Europe finds itself sliding ever deeper. The bright promise that was to be a united Europe in 1992 has given way to recession not unlike that suffered by the United States. As a result, the boundless optimism and expansion fueled by a freed Eastern Europe and its potential new markets have been replaced with belt-tightening retrenchment, layoffs and losses. Porsche's Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking chose his words carefully during his Tuesday press conference, accentuating the positive by marking 30 years of 91 1 and stressing the potential of the new Turbo and the 986 Boxster concept to re-invigorate sales. Yet 24 hours later Zuffenhausen would report its largest loss ever, $72 million for the first half of fiscal '93. Lou Hughes, president of GM Europe, said, "The boom is over," and many were predicting a downturn of anywhere from 8 to 15 percent this year. Even the recession in Japan cast a pall over this, the most international and neutral of venues. Though Daihatsu presented a new Charade, the best the other larger Japanese makes could muster was Nissan with its version (the Terrano 11) of a European sportlutility joint venture with Ford. Despite the pessimism, mainline manufacturers and exotic marques pulled out all the stops for one of the most memorable Genevas in recent memory. Ford, which has spent $6 billion on its CDW27 "world car" project, showed the fruits of that effort in the form of Mondeo-though it's up to individual tastes as to whether Ford got its money's worth. GM had its Corsa, Peugeot its 306, Lancia the Delta and Citroen the Xantia, all volume cars. From our shores, GM showcased the Firebird, while Chrysler chose the Prowler from its stable of dream cars to grace its Geneva stand. But the truly bright spots were provided by the exotics-Ferrari with its 348 Spider, Lamborghini with its Diablo VT, Aston Martin's DB7 and the Lagonda Vignale. Bugatti and Italdesign teamed up to present the EB 112 sedan and even Mercedes popped up with a rare show car that provides more than a hint of things to come when it replaces its E-Series.

BANKING ON RECOVERY
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Like the spring that is sure to follow in a few weeks, automakers anxiously await a time of sunnier skies and fairer winds. By the looks of the offerings on display in Geneva, the industry will be well-prepared to take advantage of a change in the weather.

Split rear window recalls old Type 57 Atlantic coupes

BMW 325 CABRlOLET BMW's

189-hp inline six will be the only engine available when the new 3-Series convertible begins trickling into showrooms this summer. Structural improvements include a laminated windshield and frame that provide rollover protection, as well as tubular reinforcement in the doors. Pop-up roll bars for the rear seats, similar to the Mercedes 300CE cabrio, are optional. A lightweight hardtop is also available. rn
AUTOWEEK MARCH 22, 1993

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BUGATTI E B l l 2
"This is the car they should've done in the first place," was the consensus when Bugatti unveiled its latest creation, the EB112. Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign collaborated on the swoopy four-door's styling. An aluminum body covers a carbon-fiber chassis powered by an alloy 6.0-liter V12 that pumps 455 hp through a six-speed manual gearbox with awd and four-wheel steering. Bugatti claims a 4.4-second 0-60 and a 186-mph top speed. The price? A cool $200,000. Bugatti hopes to build 300 cars. w

ZAGATO F X 9 3 Ercole Spada, who penned such landmark

cars for Zagato as the Abarth TZ before heading off to engineering and styling house rival I.DE.A, has returned, and his first creation is the FX93. Based on Ferrari Testarossa TR5 12 mechanicals, the one-off study combines a rounded greenhouse with ducted slab sides. w

ASTON MARTIN DB7

This stunning 2+2 prototype revives Aston Martin's DB nomenclature, which disappeared in 1971 with the demise of the DB6. Power comes from a 3.2-liter inline six, based on a Jag block but supercharged to 335 hp. The design, based in part on Jag's scuttled F-type, makes extensive use of composites. Aston Martin claims a top speed of 160 mph. The DB7 will be built a year from now in the Bloxham, England, plant run by Tom Walkinshaw. Bloxham currently produces the Jaguar XJ220. Target price is $1 16,000. The company hopes to produce about 700 a year. w

PININFARINA ETHOS II
Just 10 months after the open-top Ethos bowed at the Turin Motor Show, Pininfarina has come back with a slightly larger, longer and heavier coupe version of the concept. Like the original, Ethos I1 also uses a 55 hp mid-mounted two-stroke 800 cc Orbital engine. Despite the added heft, the car weighs only 1550 pounds. In addition to the top, the rear of Ethos I1 is wider and the car has a skirted wheel appearance and a new cooling duct mounted on top of the fender. The Cd is only 0.19 and the company says the car is capable of producing 102 mpg at 75 mph. Pininfarina hopes to sell the Ethos concept to large manufacturer for series production of about 10,000 units at a cost of less than $20,000 each. w

FIAT DOWNTOWN
This concept is an answer to Italy's crowded city centers, which are increasingly congested and often closed to vehicle traffic. The electric-powered Downtown was created under direction of American Chris Bangle, who was recently whisked from Fiat to head BMW's design staff. Range (about 60 km) is limited, but so is the space the Downtown occupies. Its full length stretches barely seven feet. That means two passengers sit on each side but slightly aft of the center-placed driving position. w

AUDI S4 4.2

Audi mated its 280 hp 4.2-liter V8 from its flagship V8 model to the all-wheel-drive 100. The only clues to what's under the hood are body-colored bumpers, dual exhaust and a tiny "4.2" badge on the trunk lid. Available in both sedan and wagon versions, it puts out 285 hp in European trim. Audi says the car will run 0-62 in 6.2 seconds and top out at 155 mph. Priced at $57,000, there are no plans to bring the car here.

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AUTOWEEK MARCH 22, 1993

RENAULT RACOON
The all-steel, all-terrain amphibious Racoon features three-person seating with two seats forward and one center-aft. The one-piece canopy operates electrically. Step-up running boards improve access, and a hydraulic suspension adjusts ride height according to terrain. A 3.0-liter, 262-hp V6 drives all four wheels. Two hydrojets can propel the Racoon on water at 5 knots. A front-mounted infrared video camera allows driving in darkness without lights. Exterior omni-directional spotlights are controlled by a joystick. 4

ASTON MARTlN LAGONDA VlGNALE

Aston Martin teamed with Ford's Ghia design studios to recreate a classic fair-door sedan based on a Lincoln Town Car chassis. The V12-powered Vignale has 19-inch and an length of about Vignale's interior features armchair-styled 17 feet. The understated exterior seats and wood-rimmed steering wheel hides a finely-detailed interior that features a dashboard made of a single piece of beechwood. Nickel finished air conditioning vents on either side add an art deco touch to the interior. Despite the retro look, the car is equipped with an on-board navigation system. 4

he FordNissan joint venture sportlutility was primarily Japanese-developed. So the Ford Maverick is essentially a rebadged Nissan Terrano. Both long- and short-wheelbase versions will be available. Power choices are a 2.4-liter, 124 hp four and a 2.7-liter, 100 hp turbodiesel. rn

FORD MAVERICK

The Mondeo bowed with a tasty interior, bland exterior and a wagon that looks a lot like a Taurus. Mondeo will be built in both Germany and the U.S., though our TempotTopaz replacement is a year away. European engines are all four-cylinder Zetas, ranging from 1.6- to 2.0-liters. 4

FORD MONDEO

BMW officials said they would measure reaction to the 213 before making any production decisions. But word around the Palexpo was that production is unlikely because BMW fears few would be willing to pay $30,000 for a city car, no matter how distinctive it is. That said, looking like a cross between BMW's E l electric car and a Renault R5 Turbo, 213 is powered by an 1100 cc four from BMW's KlOO motorcycle, fitted longitudinally in front of the rear axle. At 1830 pounds, 213 is said to reach 0-60 mph in less than 10 seconds and get45 mpg. It's 39 inches shorter than %series, yet seats three, with a center-mounted front seat flanked by two set-back passenger seats, like the McLaren F1. 4

BMW Z 1 3

AUTOWEEK MARCH 22, 1993

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SHOW TAKES

MERCEDES-BENZ COUPE-STUDlE
Mercedes delivered one of the few real surprises at Geneva with a rare concept car. As chief designer Bruno Sacco bluntly put it, "We do not concern ourselves with the creation of an airy-fairy show car with absurd cheap showmanship." This is a serious concept built with the help of Italdesign to gauge public reaction to the rounded-headlight front-end design proposed for its next-generation mid-sized car. The coupe delivers a strong hint of Giugiaro, a la Lexus GS300, in the roofline and rear hatch. The hood rakes sharply toward the four elliptical headlights, and the roof is deep-tinted glass. Exterior dimensions are very close to current E-Class cars. Though the rear end drew mixed reviews. Mercedes officials were more interested in reaction to the car's "face." W
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SBARRO [SATlS V 12
This BMW V12-powered GT struck some as . Viper meets Corvette Z R - ~ Isatis is based on a 7-Series chassis, but the engine is moved entirely behind the front axle and the transmission is moved to the rear to improve weight distribution. Sbarro said he will build cars to order for interested customers. W

w rEm GM'S new volume car in Europe will compete in the subcompact segment wGh the likes bf Peugeot's 306. ~ o r s a has more interior volume than its predecessor with the same exterior dimensions. It comes in three- and five-door models with six trim levels and seven gas and diesel four-cylinder engines, from a 45-hp 1.2-liter to a 109-hp 1.6. W

CORSA

B M W 840i
Geneva offered the first look at BMW's 4.0-liter V8 mounted in its 8-Series coupe. With 286 horses the 840Ci gives up only 10 hp to the 12-cylinder 850Ci. As a result, BMW claims a 7.7-second 0-62 mph time and a 155-mph top speed. It's sure to be priced thousands less than the $83,400 flagship. The 840 will also - come with traction control and nearly all the technological and comfort features standard on the 850. w
AUTOWEEK MARCH 22, 1993